In verse 16:9, the angel of the Lord said, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.” The woman that just hurt your feelings, return to her and submit yourself to her authority. This is where most of us would have missed it. We would have continued on to Shur instead of turning around. Upon going back to her master and mistress, she has her child, Ishmael, and stays there for over fourteen years. Once Sarah, formerly known as Sarai, has her first child, Sarah feels that Hagar’s child will be a threat to hers so she admonishes her husband to send Hagar and her child away.
Woefully, Abraham sends Hagar and her child into the wilderness. I am sure that Hagar felt all kinds of emotions. She had come back to submit and ended up having to leave in the end. But, the second time Hagar goes into the wilderness, she and Ishmael end up in a place called Beersheba. Beersheba means the seven-fold oath or seven wells. In biblical numerology, the number seven denotes divine completion. So, Hagar and Ishmael, after they were released, encountered a place of divine completion of oaths (promises). There are some people who have been called to operate within ministry. The issue is some people have become Hagars and they have left their covering without proper release and have hit a wall in their gifting, anointing, ministry. Now, if they follow the pattern of the story and come back and submit; what happens is in due season they will be released back into the place where they returned from. But, this time when they go into the wilderness they will walk into a place of seven-fold blessing and not a wall.
If you are in a state where you are walking in rebellion; I urge you to go back and submit to your covering. It is a proven fact that success in ministry is tied up into submission and proper release. Your ministry will never see Beersheba lest Abraham (your father/mother) release you into that place. Stay on the path!
